You Found Me
by retrolily
Summary: Danielle Mason turns on the news to see her old childhood neighbour and best friend, Tommy Conlon, who she hasn't seen in ten years. She does everything in her power to see him again, which brings up old, forgotten memories and feelings. Things are going well, but there are some things you can't run from. Pics can be found on youfoundmefic.tumblr. Poll on my profile, PLEASE VOTE!
1. Danielle

**Albany, New York - July 2008**

It was 10:30 PM on a Wednesday night. I had just finished microwaving my _Lean Cuisine_ and sat down on my living room couch. I flicked on the TV and stopped on _CNN_.

_"A surprising turn in the story of Iraq War hero Tommy Riordan."_

A chill went down my spine when I heard his name. _Tommy_? I thought.

_"CNN has learned that Riordan's true identity is that of Marine Staff Sergeant Thomas Conlon, who went AWOL from his unit earlier this year following the friendly fire death of his brother-in-arms, Sergeant Manny Fernandez. Fernandez' wife, Pilar Fernandez, spoke with me in an exclusive interview moments ago." _My mouth fell open.

The last time I saw him he was an angry, skinny eighteen year old. Angry, passionate, caring and smug. He actually did it, I thought, completely dismissing the fact that he was Absent Without Leave. He always talked about joining the Marines, but I never thought he would actually go through with it. He was always so unpredictable. Come to think of it, I don't think I could have imagined him doing anything else. Not working in an office and definitely not in a school.

The last time I saw him was in 1998. I was sixteen years old and he had just graduated from Henry Foss High School in Tacoma. I can barely remember that day, but I remember a time when it was all I thought about.

I left Pittsburgh and ended up in Tacoma, closer to him when I was fourteen. I was young and stupid and gave my mom so much crap so she'd have to let us move to Tacoma to live with my grandparents.

I tried to tone down my excitement about seeing Tommy and focus on what the newscaster was saying, but was finding it hard to. I never thought I would see him again, nevertheless on my television.

**_Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania November 1994 (Danielle- 12 yrs, Tommy- 14 yrs, Brendan-16 yrs)_**

_"I'm leaving." Tommy said, the cold wind whipping his face. "Me and my mom... We're going. She's leavi__ng my dad."_

_"What! Why? I said, bewildered. I knew Paddy was an abusive drunk, but I never thought they would actually leave._

_"We don't want anything to do with him... but Brendan...he's being a dumb bitch . He wants to stay with his fucking girlfriend"_

_He looked anxious. He was starting to look around. "I have to go." He said solemnly while starting to walk away. I just stood there in the dark. I watched him walk up his steps to the front door. .._

**_The Next Night_**

_I hadn't seen Tommy all day and was too scared to knock on his door. Paddy must have been pissed about them leaving. _

_"Tommy! Get in the car!" I heard Carol shout and I ran downstairs as fast I could still wearing my PJs. I got to the window in time to see Tommy walking out his front door with a duffle bag in his hand. I knocked on the window . He looked up at me, his face was expressionless. Carol waved at me from the car. "Sweetheart, remember to take care of your mother". She said. I smiled weakly. Tommy didn't get in the car right away so I ran and opened the front door as quickly as I could. It seemed like he was waiting for something._

_"Bye." I said, so low that I wasn't sure he heard me. He walked up to the car door and opened it._

_"Go and give Danielle a hug" Carol said he and embarrassingly turned around and smiled. He threw his bag in the back seat and headed towards me..._

_After the car had started up I turned to my left to see Brendan sitting on the front steps. "Get your ass inside!" Paddy roared. Carol looked at her son. "Goodbye, Brendan."_

_Tommy didn't look at Brendan once, and then, they drove off.. __Brendan gave me a hard glare before he went inside. After Tommy left, and I would see him around he would tell me to get lost. I think he hated me. _

**PRESENT**

_"Conlon, who is fighting in the Mixed Martial Arts mega tournament Sparta, is expected to be taken __into custody by military police following tonight's winner take all finale in Atlantic City."_

_Into custody? What?_

I opened the guide, typed in "Sparta" and clicked the first channel that came up.

_"We've just got some incredible news that I'm having trouble putting into context, but here it is: the __two men fighting for the championship tonight, for the five million dollar prize, for the middle weight championship of the world, are brothers."_

"What!?" I finally said out loud. "Brendan's fighting?"

I couldn't believe my ears. And to think I was just about to turn on some cheesy law show and stuff my face with chicken parmigiana. I would have missed the whereabouts of my best friend. Of course he was a man now and looked nothing like the way I remembered. He had the same face, but he looked older. More like a man. It gave me an uneasy feeling. In my head he was still the same eighteen year old. I nervously watched as Brendan made his way into the arena. He looked the same, but obviously aged. I smiled to myself. I thought of the times when he would see Tommy and I hanging out and would give me a hard time about being his girlfriend. Tommy and I were always quick to curse him out. I was a real outspoken and sassy kid back then. A few moments later, Tommy walked out. He had a hard, grim look on his face. Finally, he entered the cage...

**Author's Note**: The first three chapters are mostly flashbacks that give Tommy and Danielle more of a backstory. You can skip ahead if you want, but there is a lot of info there. Tommy's point of view starts in chapter 4. Pictures for this fic can be found on my profile and flickr.

**Please Review. :)**


	2. Brendan

I forced myself to watch the whole fight. He wasn't going to back off of Brendan because of all the hate I knew he felt towards him. Then, Brendan took Tommy's arm. Within seconds, I could tell that he had dislocated his shoulder. It was hard to see him in so much pain. I knew Tommy had a lot of anger towards Brendan for staying behind. _Why didn't he just tap out?_ I thought. Tears began to fill my eyes. By the fifth round, Brendan was squeezing his neck, and he looked as though he was about to pass out. Finally, he tapped out. I was an emotional wreck. They walked through the tunnel, Brendan with his arm around Tommy. I buried my face into a nearby pillow and drowned out the sound of the announcers.

When the fight was long over, I lied awake in my bed reminiscing.

When I was twelve, the only thing I cared about was moving to Tacoma. I had to go to Tacoma. I had to see Tommy. By the time I was fourteen I had given up on the thought and it seemed like a stupid fantasy more than anything. When someone's best friend moves away they usually don't follow them, but then something happened. My mom had gotten into an accident and couldn't work. My older sister, Anna had already moved out because she didn't want to be anywhere my mom's boyfriend who couldn't give a damn and had already left. She visited regularly though. My mom thought it would be best if I left as well, so I did. I had to practically beg her to come too, knowing that I could never leave her all alone. My grandparents had a small house, but at least it was better than the one back in Pittsburgh.

Tacoma was a pretty big place and I never expected to see Tommy. I hadn't thought about him yet once since I had arrived, but then, on my first day of school...

**_Tacoma, Washington March 1996 - Henry Foss High School_**

_I was speed walking down the hall trying to find my second period class. The room numbers for classrooms always confused me. I turned a corner and bumped into a figure with his head facing his locker. He turned to me. _

_"Watch where the fuck you're going!" _

_"I'm really"... I stopped. It was Tommy. _

_"Ah, shit...Dani!?" He pulled me into a bear hug. _

_When he released me, he looked me up and down. "Holy Shit you look different!" _

_"And so do you." I said my smile growing larger and larger. Seeing him again felt good.  
_

_"What are you doing here?"  
_

_"Shit, Tommy ..."I said. "My mom can't work so we moved in with my grandparents." __His expression turned sympathetic .  
_

_"Shit, that's rough." he answered dragging his fingers through his hair, but then his signature smirk creeped on his face. "At least I get to see you again." He playfully punched me in the arm.  
_

_"Yeah!" I paused. "By the way, if you were wondering about Brendan, he is..." He stopped me. _

_"Nah, man. I don't wanna hear about Brendan. He spit out his name emphasizing his disgust. __There was silence. Then he put on his "sweet talker" smile. _

_"Hang out with me tonight...like we used to." Pause. " It would make mom happy to see you again."_

**_PRESENT_**

A month had gone by and I still hadn't heard about anything in the news in relation to Tommy. I mean I couldn't just up and leave to Pittsburgh to get information. I had work. I'm a journalist for a local newspaper, and one of the best if I say so myself.

_**The newscaster spoke,** "It has just come to my attention that Tommy Riordan, the Irag War Hero turned MMA fighter who abandoned his unit, __was sentenced to serve six months in federal prison, this morning. It was originally supposed to be longer, but because of the many lives he saved, his sentence was dramatically shortened. He is not expected to return to his previous unit. He is reported to _have received an honourable discharge because he was rendered physically incapable of returning his unit. "

"Six months? Six months? Six months until I can see him again." I remembered the injury he had sustained in the fight. I wanted nothing more than to be there for him and comfort him. Flashbacks of the fight flooded my mind. I tried to reassure myself that everything was fine. Tommy and Brendan had reconnected and they would make up for loss time as soon as he got out. But, of course I couldn't be sure.

It was the middle of August when I finally got the nerve to ask my boss for a vacation. I convinced her that I didn't need to come into the office and that I could just email her each week before my deadline. She wondered why I would be travelling so late in the month so I told her about Tommy. Nothing specific, but just that I needed information on an old friend. I was ready to drive the whole way there.

**Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - August 17**

I decided to stop by my sister, Anna's on the way and was ecstatic to see how big my 6 year old niece, Beth, had gotten. I was exhausted after my 4 and a half hour drive and decided to spend the night. The next morning, when I had finished catching up with my sister, I stopped at a local grocery to get a few things for the rest of my trip.  
"Where the hell is the chips aisle in here?" I furiously shoved my cart forward and it ran into someone's foot. A man with his blonde wife.

"Hey, watch it!" The person scolded. I didn't recognize him from behind, but when he turned around...

"I can't believe it... what is it... Dani?" His face lit up.


	3. I Can't Believe It

"Now way.. Danielle?" He repeated my name, though he must have known he was right.

"Yes! Oh my gosh Brendan, hi. I was just thinking about you. It must be fate. You're just the person I needed to talk to. I'm so sorry about your foot." I smiled embarrassed.

"Brendan, I'll be right back. I'm gonna check on the girls. Tess smiled at me before she walked away. He awkwardly embraced me for a hug.

"You came all the way out here to find me?"

"No, actually, I was heading down to the 'Burgh. I was gonna see If I could talk to Paddy." I searched his eyes for any flicker of anger. "You guys keep in touch now?" I asked.

"Somewhat." He paused." This is about Tommy, right?"

"Yeah... I really want to see him again"...I paused. "It's been so long" I added unsure of what to say. I really hoped Brendan didn't think I was just showing up because Tommy was a star now.

"He gets out in six months." He added solemnly.

"I know...I mean, I heard it on the news."

His expression changed into a smirk, similar to the one I've always seen Tommy use. "We're throwing him a welcome home party. It's gonna be too cold for a barbecue, but Tess is gonna make dinner and we're inviting close family and friends. It's going to be pretty small, but you're welcome to join us. We'll keep it a surprise. I'm sure he'll love to see you again."

"That sounds great!" I tried not to sound too excited, but my heart was racing.

"Here. Give me your number and I'll text you when the details are finalized." He took his clearly upgraded phone out of pocket and handed it to me.

"Yeah, cool" I took it and typed in my cell.

"You still living in Tacoma?" He asked as I handed his phone back to him.

"No, actually. I live in New York now."

"Oh, that's great. What do you do?"

"I'm a journalist. I work for the Times."

"Wow, your mom must be so proud."

"Yeah she is."

"You probably know now that I'm a physics teacher." He said while rocking back and forth on his heels. Clearly thinking about the tournament where almost everyone saw him get his ass kicked, and then beat the crap out of his brother.

"Yes, I do know that, among other things... and I never would have imagined." I added, not wanting to bring it up.

He laughed while two young girls holding copious amounts of snacks turned the corner.

"Where's your mother, Em?" He asked staring at all the sugar they carried. It was bizarre seeing Brendan all sophisticated and fatherly.

"She's coming, Dad!" The eldest, obviously Em, short for something like Emma or Emily, replied while throwing snacks into the cart.

"Emily...Rosie... this is Danielle. She's an old friend of mine and your Uncle Tommy."

"The one we haven't met yet."

"Yes Em... and what do we say... Rosie?"

"Hi Danielle." They sheepishly said one after the other while hiding behind their father. I smiled, not wanting to intrude on their shopping trip.

"I'll see you around Brendan. Say goodbye to Tess for me." I was unsure if i should hug him again so I warmly patted him on the back. I wasn't sure if that was weird.

"Will do." He reassured. "Take care." I pushed my cart carefully this time and walked away.

After paying for a few things, I headed back to my car satisfied with my journey. I had gotten all the information I needed and was glad that I didn't have to travel all they way to Pittsburgh. I was going to see Tommy in six months and give him the biggest surprise of his life.

**Brendan's POV **

"Okay, who's gonna help mommy carry the groceries inside?"

"Me!" Emma shrieked. "Me too", Rosie volunteered, following her older sister. I opened the trunk and handed the girls the lightest bags I could find. They ran into the kitchen as fast as they could, while Tess and I carried the rest. On our last trip, Tess looked at me when we got inside.

"Why are you smiling?" Tess teased playfully nudging my shoulder. We both stopped in the kitchen and started putting things away. Meanwhile, Emma and Rosie already had _Treehouse_ playing in the living room.

"I don't know, it's weird." I answered. "The last time I saw Danielle she was a cheeky, smart-mouthing kid."

"Always talking back?"

"Always talking back. Always challenging people. Man, I thought she was so annoying... But now, she's grown up into a woman. I mean it's so strange."

"Yeah", Tess said while she nodded and smile. "I'm pretty sure she thought the same about you."

"You remember her too, don't you?"

"Yeah...Tommy's little girlfriend, I remember." They did everything together, Tess exclaimed while she headed towards the fridge to start putting things away. "They hung around at school, right?"

"No, I don't think they hung out at school though. I think she is a few years younger."

"Right.." Tess put the vegetables in the bottom of the fridge before she turned around and looked at me.

"I always thought you didn't like her." I gave her a confused look.

_**Pittsburgh, PA June 1995 (Brendan- 17 yrs , Danielle- 13 yrs)**_

_It was about 11 PM and I was on my way home from Tess's place when I stopped in the park a block away from my street. I sat on a __nearby bench. I was trying to stay out as late as possible, hoping to avoid Pop, in hopes that he would be passed out by the time I got there. I sighed. I started to think on Tommy and Mom and how they hadn't even tried to call in over six months. I get not wanting to talk to Paddy, but me... I was his brother. She was my mom...My own mother. Fuck! I picked up a stone from the grass and threw it as hard as I could._

_I saw two guys at the end of the slide swearing at each other and getting in each other's faces. One of the guy's shirt lifted, revealing something dark, probably steel. At first, I wan't sure what it was, but then I realized. __I started to get up and back away when out of the corner of my eye, there was a thirteen year old Danielle aimlessly walking around with her hands in her pockets._

_"Yo kid, get outta here" I called out as I headed towards her, low enough that the thugs didn't hear. Their confrontation increased in volume. She barely seemed to notice._

_"I'm waiting for someone. Mind your own business, Brendan." She insisted. I finally reached her, grabbed both her shoulders and spoke right into her ear so she could clearly hear me._

_"Get the fuck outta here!" I threatened as menacing as I could. It startled her._

_"What the f-..." I grabbed her by the shirt and turned her around before she could finish, pushing her in the direction of our houses._

_"Danielle!" I almost shouted. "Go meet your stupid friend somewhere else." I demanded. She glared at me for a split second, before she finally stormed off._

**Author's Note:** Tommy finally show up in the next chapter! So excited!


	4. Welcome Home

**Pennsylvania, PA February 18 2009**

Two days. Two fucking days until I would finally see Tommy again. I was staying with my sister and her husband, since they lived relatively close Brendan. I knew exactly what I was going to wear and exactly when I would arrive. I would show up a little later to give Tommy time to catch up with his family. I had gone through a million scenarios of what how he might react, in my head. I ran into Anna's room and jumped her bed.

"What the hell's the matter with you?' She laughed turning down the TV. James, her husband, was out of town on a business trip.

I picked up her pillow and screamed into it.

"Hey...relax you're gonna wake up Beth."

She finally understood. "This is about Tommy, isn't it?"

"Yes, I nodded. I couldn't stop smiling.

"I'd be careful if I were you. If you act this annoying around him, he'll probably knock you out."

"Oh, shut up." I retorted. I really didn't have anything to say to her. I just wanted someone to express my feelings to. She got the message and turned back up the TV while I bounced up and down on her bed. We fell asleep with a rerun of _Friends_ playing in the background.

**Tommy's POV**

The icy wind whipped past me, burning my face. "Ah, fuck!" I grumbled under my breath.

Brendan's car edged closer to where I stood outside the prison gates. The car stopped and Brendan got out of the car, smiling like an idiot.

"What the fuck are you so happy for?" I teased and he pulled me into one one of his burly hugs. After he released me, we headed towards the car.

"You hungry? Tess made dinner back at my place. Shane, Mike , Pilar and the kids, they're all there...Paddy too. "He looked at me unsure of how I would react. I didn't. "Uncle Leo and the gang are coming down from Memphis. They'll be there a little later. It's nothing big, just..."

"What.. like some kind of welcome home party? Hey... I hate that kind of shit, man. Everybody hugging up and telling each other their life stories and shit."

"It won't be that bad, trust me." He assured me while opening my door.

"Whatever." He laughed while I threw my things in the back and sat down.

"What? They don't let you guys shave in there?." He questioned, looking at my fully grown beard.

"Some pussy tried of kill themselves a while back, so they said it's too "high-risk". They don't let no one use razors no more."

On the way home, Brendan didn't talk to me. He could tell that I wasn't in the mood. I didn't want to talk. Not about the fight and definitely not about what prison was like. I mean I was heading home after six months and wasn't in hiding anymore. I was a free man. Everything that happened in the past I was putting behind me.

I didn't regret anything that had happened in Iraq though. Those fuckers almost killed me...they killed my brothers and they expected me to just come back and say "Oh, everything's okay now, I'm back to fight for my country." Those bastards can kiss my ass.

I instinctively raised my hand to the glass window.

"Hey, Tommy, we're here." I looked out the window and saw people standing outside. Brendan must have texted Tess when I wasn't paying attention. Isn't that illegal? Texting while driving. I scoffed and got out of the car.

"Tommy!" Pilar smiled warmly and ran towards me. I pulled her into a bear hug and kissed the top of her head. "How are you?"

"Good...good. How are the kids."

"Oh they're inside. They're both inside." She paused. "Your dad is there too." She added. I didn't get why people were acting so weird about bringing him up. I knew that Brendan was giving him a chance, you know little visits with the kids every now and then. I mean I thought I made it clear that I was willing to move on. I was the first to acknowledge him, long before Brendan did. They think that all I do is hold grudges against everyone. I've given up on that now.

I saw Mike and Shane, my old high school buddies, standing to the side with open arms.

"You guys came all they way down here? What have you guys been up to?"

"Nothing much. It's all good man. My wife is out here visiting her parents with the kids.I thought I would stop by, catch up with an old friend." Mike responded.

"My work's out here, so I live out here now." Shane chimed in.

"Good. That's good." I stood there, unsure of what to say next.

"Yeah, don't forget you're taking me out for beers before I leave." Mike added.

"Alright...alright."

There was a brief silence. Tess was standing there as well.

"Hi, Tommy." she smiled, while standing in the doorway. I nodded. She stepped out to embraced me and I hugged my sister- in-law for the first time. "Welcome home." She said as I picked her up and spun her around, which took her off guard. When I put her down, she laughed. "Wow."

Brendan smiled. "Come on everyone. Let's all go inside. It's freezing." Brendan ushered us indoors.

"Tommy? That you?" He slowly got up from his sitting position on the couch.

"Yes, pop. It's me" I grinned and took my old man into my arms.

**Dinnertime (6 PM)**

"Okay, okay you two settle down. Dinner is gonna be ready in one minute." Tess called after her children. Emily, Rosie, and a few younger cousins were taking Pops upstairs to see their playroom. Maria and Manny followed closely behind. The women were helping out in the kitchen. Two hours had passed since I arrived and all had finished catching up.  
I sat around the table listening to the guys talk about their jobs and that bullshit, a few steps away. I leaned back and took another swig of my beer.

"Is she here yet?" I heard Tess whisper into Brendan's ear.

"Yeah...she's outside." Brendan replied a little too loud for Tess's liking. She looked at me. Then, the doorbell rang. Brendan stood up. "I'll get it."

I didn't think anything of it and returned to my beer.

A few moments later I heard the sound of heels clicking on tile floors and raised my head to see who it was.

It was some girl. She was tall with a nice body and was she was staring right at me.

Then, I looked at her face. My heart jumped in my chest, even though I wasn't completely sure she was who I thought she was.  
_It can't be..._

**Author's Note:** Please let me know how you think I did with Tommy. I wasn't sure if I got him right. Does it sound like him? Let me know what you think.

Please Review. :)


	5. When You Showed Up

_**Chapter Theme Song:** Marianas Trench - Good To You (__Everyone's around, no words are coming out._

_And I can't find my breath, can we just say the rest with no sound.)_

It took him a few seconds before he actually put his beer down. My face was frozen. I couldn't smile until I was sure he remembered me. Then, he said my name.

"Danielle?" He got up slowly, studying my face, waiting for my response. I continued to look at him, mesmerized by seeing him in person after the longest time.

"Yes, Tommy. It's her" Brendan finally said laughing, nudging his brother forward.

I was in his arms within seconds. I moved in closer and inhaled cologne, that probably belonged to Brendan, beer, and the faint smell of whiskey. He took a step back and looked at me with a huge grin on his face. I don't remember seeing him so happy. It was silent. Then, I realized he must have been waiting for me to speak.

"Hey... I finally said laughing. "It's so great to see you."

Tess, Brendan, Shane, Mike and a few other relatives were all gathered around watching our reunion with smiles on their faces, which made me nervous to say too much. The kids probably heard the commotion and bustled inside. Paddy slowly followed behind.

"Hmm...you look familiar." He bellowed loudly, making me even more uncomfortable. I hated having all the attention on me.

"Pop, this is Danielle. She lived next door to us in Pittsburgh." Tommy said, pulling me to his side while putting his arm around my shoulder.

"Oh...right. I think I remember. You and her use to sneak around out back and hang out at the park."

"Yeah. That was us, always getting into trouble." I smiled sheepishly.

I looked over to Brendan, who was obviously ecstatic to see his brother so happy after so long.

He obviously didn't get it, so I looked over at Tess, who then said, "Maybe we should give them some privacy. Right, Brendan.."

He stopped smiling."Oh, right. You guys can catch up in den around back. Dinner will be served in 5."

"Thanks." I nodded and before I knew it Tommy's right hand had already took mine, his beer in the other, and began leading me away.

"Uh... maybe you should leave the drink here." Brendan suggested eyeing his brother. His brother slowly complied and was leading me around back.

He sat on the leather couch and gestured for me to sit beside him.

When we were alone. I was finally able to look at him without millions of faces around. Then, in that moment... I saw him. My Tommy. That same kid who I used to stay up all night with when he didn't want to be at home. That same guy who gave me my first shot of whiskey... my first cigarette... I finally decided to sop being nervous and try to go back to old times.

"So...how's life?" He asked, as I took a seat. "What have you been up to..for what...the past 10 years, is it?"

"I'm a journalist. I work for the Philly Inquirer."

"Ah.. I remember now. You used to love writing."

"Still do...thank god" I paused. "It's nice to see you like this." He put his arm around me and I leaned into his chest.

"Like what?"

I paused. "I don't know...happy, I guess. After leaving Brendan, you weren't as happy...But now..."

"That's because of you Dani." He stated loudly. His voice was different now. More loud and booming, kinda like his dad. I blushed.

"Yeah, but I mean back then. When shit at home got worse, I mean you stopped wrestling..."

"Yeah, I stopped wrestling."

"No more chasing Theogenes." I joked.

"Right..right..."

"Then, you left for Tacoma and I mean you were angrier..." I stopped, lifting my head from his chest to search his eyes for a reaction.

"Hey, hey, hey. Not true when you showed up I was done with Brendan... It was shit having to start all over... but when you showed up it made me a lot happier. I was a lot worse before you found me."

"Really?" I asked, looking him deeper in the eyes. I was flattered, but tried to not smile too much.

Before we could continue, Tess called out:

"Dinner, everyone!"

_**Tacoma, Washington - March 1996**_

_The night breeze was blowing softly and __Tommy and I were hanging out on a street bench a few meters away from my grandparent's place._

_"So this is where you live?"_

_"Yup."_

_"Too bad we can't be neighbours again."_

_"I know, right. It sucks."_

_"No more knocking on your window to help you sneak out."_

_"Actually, you can still do that. It will just take you a little longer to get here." I teased. __"Wanna know something?"_

_"What?"_

_"Back in Pittsburgh, when we used to hang out after school and stuff, I was never sure about how much you cared for me."_

_He had been playing with grass, before he stopped abruptly and turned to face me._

_"You, serious, right now?"_

_"Yeah, I'm serious... I mean, I thought i was just an option when your older friends weren't around."_

_"Don't be stupid..I never would have hung out with you if I didn't fucking like you. Especially since you were so damn annoying."_

_"Oh...whatever, Tommy. I mean I know that now... anyways... you still think I'm annoying?"_

_"Nah..." He looked at me and smiled, a glint of something in his eyes._

_"__Now, that we're in school together, we can hang out all the time."_

_"Exactly."_

_I stayed quiet, unsure of what to say._

_"Yo, what time is it?" He said as he started to slowly caress my head._

_I looked at my watch. "7:30." I replied._

_"Come on, let's hurry back to my shithole, so you can say hi to my mom." He stood up, grabbing me by my hand._

**PRESENT**

During dinner, we didn't speak a word to each other. We just listened to everyone else. On occasion, Tommy would rest his hand on mine and play with my fingers, like he used to. It took me by surprise that he was being so forward with someone he hasn't seen in so long. I think he was trying to figure out where we stood. He wanted to see how I would react... The only thing I could do was smile. I could tell that he wanted to get back to how we were before.

"The food was amazing, Tess." Tommy said, when we all had finished. She smiled, and then he turned to face Brendan. "I really appreciate you doing this, man."

"Oh. don't thank me...It was actually all Tess' idea."

"Well, whattaya know. She's a keeper, Brendan." Roared Tommy's Uncle Leo, making Tess blush.

Everyone was relaxing and making conversation, when I saw an opportunity to get him alone.

"Walk with me." I smiled

He looked at me and nodded before he stood up.

**Author's Note:** I hope there are no mistakes. I wanted to post this as soon as possible for you guys to read. I'm not that great with dialogue btw.


	6. The Last Time We Saw Each Other

**Chapter Theme Song:** Lana Del Rey - Burning Desire (You ask me where I've been?

I been everywhere. I don't wanna be no where but here.)

**Tommy's POV**

"Walk with me."

I looked at her and nodded before I stood up.

When we got outside, we walked down the path and turned right. It was chilly, so I had my hands in my pockets.

When we turned a corner she finally asked me;

"Do you remember the last time we saw each other?"

"Yeah..I think so."

The night I told her I was joining the marines. I hadn't really thought about it until now. I tried not to.

The memories came flooding back and I realized there were a lot of things I wanted her to know.

"I really didn't think it would be the last time I saw you. I mean, at the time, I knew that you were upset with me, but I just shrugged it off. I just didn't remember that you could be gone by the time I came back..." I laughed. "I hoped that when I was done and I came home, that you'd still be there. And when you weren't... I just had to face the fact that I wasn't gonna see you again."

"That wasn't your fault, you know. I mean I didn't think... I was so upset with you for leaving that I didn't bother to say anything to you. I didn't show up that morning to tell you goodbye and I regretted it ever since."

"I know...I know. When you gave me the silent treatment...I thought. whatever... I just figured, you know, you would come over in the morning, like you always did, every time we fought."

Danielle suddenly turned away from me.

"And, I didn't...because I was just so angry with you. I wasn't gonna see you for so long and you were gonna miss my graduation and..."

"I know..."

Tears were forming in her eyes, so I had to stop her right there.

"Come on, don't do that. It's okay...it's okay." We stopped walking and I took her in my arms.

"We don't have to talk about that no more. Only the good times...it means nothing now."

Having her in my arms felt right, though I couldn't deny that there was one thing I needed to ask her. But then, that moment, I decided, she was exactly what I was missing.

**Danielle's POV**

During our walk, Tommy was being so open with me, thought it could have just been because he was a little drunk.

I realized that there was one thing I couldn't deny. Why couldn't I just come out and say it.

It's not like there's anyone else.

_I wanna be with you Tommy. _

Why couldn't I just say that. I mean, I know we haven't seen each other in a while, but I loved him... there was no denying that. I wasn't planning on leaving him anytime soon and being with him, was starting to feel more right.

I knew I loved him before, but I was young and would never admit it. I knew he loved me before but now...I couldn't be sure. I didn't want to take the risk of being rejected. What if he never sees me the way he used to?

When we got back, everyone was saying their goodbyes.

"Hey, there he is...we're heading out." Shane called on his way out with Mike.

"Take care, man." He patted their backs goodbye.

"We'll keep in touch...Brendan, Tommy... take care of yourselves."

"We will, Leo." Brendan replied, hugging his relatives.

"I should get the kids to bed. You have a good night, Tommy." Pilar exclaimed.

"Alright, take care." He kissed her on the cheek and hugged the kids goodbye.

"Thanks for inviting me...Brendan...Tess. It was nice to see you again. I know the kids really had fun."

"No, problem. Have a good night." Brendan said smiling.

"Oh! Pilar, don't forget to send me that recipe."

"Don't worry, I won't." She laughed. She turned towards me. "It was nice to meet you, Danielle."

"You too, have a nice night." I replied.

The front hall was slowly emptying.

"Thanks for coming everyone." Brendan called out the door.

"I"ll see you kids soon, okay? Be good for mom and dad." Paddy hugged Emily and Rosie.

"Bye, grandpa." They said in unison.

Paddy turned to Brendan.

"Thanks, for inviting me son."

"No problem. I know Tommy wanted you here."

"I'll see you around, pop." Tommy said, hugging his dad. Brendan walked his father to his car.

"You two...it's bedtime, so upstairs." Tess shooed her energetic children upstairs.

After everyone had left Brendan, Tommy and I, made our way to the living room couch.

"So... how exactly did you guys meet up?"

Brendan and I looked at each other.

"Um... we actually bumped into each other at a grocery store nearby. I was headed to Pittsburgh, though. I was on my way to ask around about you. I...um...really wanted to see you again.."

He smiled, obviously pleased that I was willing to go through so much effort to find him. I tried not to mention that I saw him on the news or anything about the fight.

"Yeah..." Brendan added. "We said hi, got caught up, and then I told her about how we were planning a get together. Told her you would love to see her again. Couldn't stop thinking about how weird it was seeing her so grown up."

_**Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania February 1996**_

_Ever since Tommy left, it felt as though every time Brendan saw me, he got pissed at me for reminding him of Tommy. Reminding him, that neither his brother or own mother had bothered to call him. It wasn't my fault. Like that time, last year, when he told to leave the park for no reason. I mean, who the hell did he think he was, I can go wherever I want. Just because he doesn't want to see me, doesn't mean I have to leave whenever he says._

_He was also pissed because he dad wouldn't train him. Not my fault, either._

_It was a cold, winter morning and I saw him walking to the bus stop._

_"Hey, Brendan!" I called out to him smugly. He ignored me and continued to walk._

_"You don't wanna hear what I have to say." I said running after him. I was just itching to see his reaction to what I would tell him._

_I finally blurted it out._

_"I'm moving to Tacoma!" I yelled. He stopped dead in his tracks. I grinned and I waited for him to turn around. He didn't._

_"Tell Tommy and my mom, I say Hi. He replied, before he walked away._

_He was trying to act like it didn't bother him that I was going to see his brother before he did. I knew better._

**PRESENT**

"So...are you staying here?" I asked him, wondering if I would have to endure Tess and Brendan every time I wanted to see him. Not that I had a problem with it.

"No..." He paused. "Brendan got me a place."

"Oh, really. That's nice"

"Nothing big, just an apartment on Howard street. I can take you down in the morning Tommy." Brendan added.

"Nah, man. Don't worry about it. Dani can take me." He rubbed his hand across the small of my back.

My stomach flipped.

**Author's Note:** Tell me what you think. Again, I hope there are no mistakes. I wanted to update it for you guys. Thanks for reading! :)


	7. In Your Arms Again

**Chapter Theme Song:** Drake - Cece's Interlude (All night I've been staring, can you tell I want you?)

**11 PM**

"Can we stop and get a few things?" Tommy asked me, once we were in the car.

"Yeah, sure."

"Just a few things... like extra toothbrushes and whatnot." I peered at him through the corner of my eye and could have sworn I saw his mouth form a small grin.

_Was he implying that I was staying the night? _Not that I was complaining. I was too tired to make a second trip anyway.

_**Tacoma, Washington June 1998 - Henry Foss High School**_

_It was a warm afternoon and the final bell had just rung. The school year was over and I was getting the last few things from my locker. Within minutes, Tommy was beside my locker. He had graduated a couple days ago, but he still stopped by to see me._

_I was about to turn my head to say hello, when he spoke._

_"I'm joining the marines."_

_My heart stopped. I stared straight into my locker and didn't move. I was silent. I couldn't believe after everything we'd been though, he was leaving me again. My palms began sweating and I felt sick. This was just like Pittsburgh all over again._

_"Hello...did you hear me?"_

_Why the hell was this was the first I was hearing about it. I mean, I knew he was impulsive, but did he really think this through?_

_"Alright, be like that... but I know what you're thinking and it's not just some sudden decision. I've been planning it for a while."_

_Planning it for a while... and you just decided to tell me today? Fuck off, Tommy._

_"You know there's nothing left here for me now."_

_Yeah, except me._

_He laughed. "Whatever...I leave early tomorrow morning. Don't be late."_

_Don't be late. That was the last thing he said to me. It played over and over in my head for months._

_I purposely woke up late the next morning and I knew Tommy was already gone. I tried to tell myself that it didn't bother me. Once I graduated, I was leaving this place and never coming back. It didn't work. Why didn't I say goodbye to him? Tell him he could find me in some random city...some city that I just might be living in, in ten years. Now, I would never know how to find him. I would lose him. I knew that I would eventually forget the sound of his voice. I would try to remember it and tell myself that I had i t right, but deep down I would know it wasn't the same.  
__I tried to tell myself that I would see him again, but I knew it was a lie._  


**PRESENT**

"Key, please?" He handed it to me and I carefully opened the door.

"Jesus, look at this place."

"Wow, they really outdid themselves. They even bought you furniture and everything."

"Yeah...this is definitely better than prison...Uh you can put the bags down on the counter." He said probably regretting mentioning it.

I walked into the modernly decorated kitchen, put the bags down and started to look around.

"It's beautiful. I thought Brendan said it was nothing big..."

He shrugged.

After examining the place, we finally reached the bedroom and Tommy sat down on the bed.

"Oh, I just remembered! I have something to give you."

"What?"

I took out a framed photograph that my sister took of me and placed it beside his bed.

"Ahhh..." He said picking it up to have a look. "It's nice." He said, while making his way to the top of the bed to lie down.

I joined him and we both started to stare at the ceiling. I sighed loudly, which made him laugh. I glanced over and he was staring at me.

"What?" I asked

"Nothing." He said softly.

_**April 1998**_

_I was sitting on my front porch when he came bustling around the corner._

_"Jesus, what the hell did you do to your head?"_

_"What, you don't like it?"_

_He came up the steps and sat beside me. He began to stroke the top of my head. It sent a shiver down my spine._

_"Now you look like one of those bimbos at school." He said trying to keep a straight face._

_"You know what...fuck you. I'm nothing like those girls." I laughed pushing him back._

_"Whatever, let's go inside so I can think of some blonde jokes to to make fun of you with."_

_He did a belly flop on my bed. I crawled on as well and moved closer to him. We both lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling._

_He began to play with my fingers._

_"Hey, Shane told me you hooked up with Cassie." I said smiling._

_"Yeah..."_

_"Isn't she one in your English class?" He nodded. "You fucked her?!"_

_"No."_

_"You did!?"_

_"Nah, man. She's a whore. I don't fuck whores."_

_"Right... I heard she was easy."_

_"So that's the kinda guy you think I am."_

_"No... I just..."_

_"No, no... I see how it is." He smiled at me. He was purposely trying to annoy me._

_"Shut up Tommy. You're such a loser."_

_**April 1998 - A Couple Days Later**_

_Tommy furiously walked into my room, and shut door._

_"Hey, not so freaking loud. I don't get what you're so upset."_

_"Are you fucking stupid? Why would you fuck a guy like Tyler? After everything my mom went thr..."_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"I know him, he beats the crap out of his girlfriends." He paused. "Is he the first guy you've..."_

_"No", I said quickly. He looked hurt for a quick second and walked towards my closet. Then, he came back to face me, still visibly upset._

_"God, relax Tommy! I didn't know!"_

_"Don't tell me to fucking relax. I want you to stay away from him."_

_"Alright!" I screamed by accident. I just wanted him to shut the hell up. My mom was in the kitchen and I didn't want her to hear._

_"But, why the hell are you telling me? Shouldn't you yell at him."_

_"I already did...I broke his fucking nose."_

_"Shit..." I said. He began to look away from me, finally calming down._

_"I get it, he's bad news. I'll stay away from him." I assured him, moving closer and hugging him. __He reluctantly hugged me back._

_He softly kissed the top of my head._

_"You're too good to end up like my mom."_

**PRESENT**

We inched closer together and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I then, rested my head on his chest, wanting to so much, to be closer to him.

"This feels nice."

"Yeah." he grumbled softly.

Remembering that he must be exhausted, I made a motion to try to pull the covers out from under us, but he stopped me.

"I'll get it, you just turn off the light."

**Author's Note:** There is a lot of info in this chapter. Nothing that interesting happens between them. It gets more exciting in the next chapter. I hope there are no mistakes.

Please let me know what you think, but don't be too mean. Thanks for reading.


	8. No One Else

**Chapter Theme Song 1:** Mumford & Sons - Ghosts That We Knew (You saw my pain washed out in the rain. Broken glass, saw the blood run from my veins. But you saw no fault, no cracks in my heart. And you knelt beside my hope torn apart.)

_**Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1994 (Danielle - 12, Tommy - 14)**_

_It was seven pm on a school night and I was trying to figure out how to solve a stupid math equation. I hated multiplication and never really studied it when I was supposed to. I reached for my calculator and began typing in the numbers. I heard a thud coming from out the window and I kissed my teeth, but then I heard something else. I heard loud banging noises and the sound of loud voice. I knew exactly who it was._

_"I'm sorry...I'm sorry!", those were the words I kept hearing. There were other words being said, but not that I could make out. __I tried not to eavesdrop...pretend that I couldn't hear, but it was no use._

_"Do I have to tell you the same damn thing everyday?!" barked Paddy._

_I heard more thuds...she let out a cry of pain. I felt guilty for listening, but there was nothing I could do to avoid it. I turned on the radio. It drowned it out, but that didn't do anything to make it stop. I knew it was still happening. My eyes were watering. I wanted to do something...call the cops, but I didn't move. I never did. Poor Carol. __I buried my face into my pillow and tried to fall asleep, but then I thought...Tommy. __I ran downstairs and went out through the back door and sure enough, he was there. Sitting on my back porch. He had no expression on his face and was just sitting quietly. He turned to me when he heard the door open._

_"Sorry," he said calmly._

_"Don't worry about it, my mom's asleep."_

_I didn't say anything after that. I was twelve and naive and I didn't know anything about comforting people... so I sat beside him and we waited until it was over._

_**Tacoma, Washington May 1997 (15, 17)**_

_"Stop it." I said giving him a disapproving look. I leaned back against my headboard and tried to sit more comfortably on my bed._

_"Stop what?"_

_"I know you're thinking about him. I know it... you get that look..."_

_"I'm not."_

_"Do you wanna talk about it?" I asked him, unsure if it was OK to bring it up._

_"No." He said without any hesitation._

_"You never talked to me about it before." After a few moments of silence, he finally spoke._

_"We had a plan, you know. We were all supposed to leave that night. My mom talked to us about it... she told us that she threatened to call the cops and all we had to do was pack our stuff and leave...She needed Brendan, she still does. She tries to hide it, but I know she misses him." He paused. "And I hate him for doing that to her...I hate him for abandoning her just so he could stay with Tess. He chose some girl over family...that's something I'll never be able to understand."_

_"I know you think you hate him, but you're just hurting Tommy. It's okay to admit that you miss him too..."_

_His eyes became wet. I didn't know how to react...If I should hug him or if we should just sit in silence. __I could never tell with Tommy. Sometimes he was so caring and sometimes he could be cold. __I cautiously took a chance anyway and put my hand on his, but he pushed it away._

_"You don't have to do that Tommy. I'm here for you." I tried to sound as comforting as possible._

_Before I knew it, he was in my arms and crying into my chest. I had never seen him cry before in all the years that I knew him. I was so happy that he was opening up to me... that he felt he could trust me. I wrapped my arms around held him as close as I could. "It's gonna be okay, Tommy." __He lifted his head so we were on the same level and he looked me straight in the eye. I saw an emotion in his eyes, but I couldn't tell what it was. Was he going to get upset? Was he going to leave? He did neither. He said nothing so I uncomfortably tried to looked away._

_That's when he kissed me. He pulled me over his leg so I was sitting on top of him. He slowly lifted my shirt and started on my jeans. He kept kissing me and I felt his warm tears on my face. Then, he took off his clothes..._

**_20 Minutes Later_**

_"That was um..."_

_"Yeah... I know." He replied. I didn't say anything. I felt awkward and didn't know what to say next._

_"Come here." He gestured for me to lay in his arms._

_I nestled in closer to him and we held each other for what seemed like forever. Fifteen minutes in and I tried to gently move away._

_"I'm sorry Tommy...I totally forgot..."_

_"Forgot what?"_

_"I'm suppose to meet someone." I turned my back to him and started getting dressed._

_"Who the hell are you meeting at this time!?" He asked, probably thinking I was joking._

_"James Patterson."_

_"You're seeing him?"_

_"Yes, why?" I asked confused._

_"No reason." I studied his face before I opened the door._

_"I'll see you tomorrow then."_

_We never talked about it at all after that. It definitely brought us closer together, but the next day, it was as though it never happened. We went back to normal._

**PRESENT**

******Chapter Theme Song 2: **The Pretty Reckless - Heart (Always wanted to be, always wanted you to see my heart. Always wanted your love, always wanted but never was.)

Tommy had already showered and was coming out of the bathroom when I woke up. He had gotten rid of his beard.

"Morning."

"Morning." He said quietly.

I went past him to go brush my teeth and get cleaned up. After I was done I came out and saw that he was making coffee and taking a few things out of the fridge. I walked in.

"I see Brendan and Tess did a little shopping. Need some help?" He stopped and looked at me, with a look I didn't recognize.

"What is it?" I asked smiling.

"Uh...What exactly have you been up to these past ten years?" My smile faded. _Please don't start._

"I already told you...I've been writing and..."

"Nah..That's not what I mean." I looked at him puzzled. "Don't try to tell me you've been in Philly this whole time, being a journalist and typing away on your little computer." He was clearly upset about something.

"Umm...no, I.."

"That's right, so what were you doing...after I left."

"I graduated Tommy. " I spit out, my tone becoming angrier over his attitude. "My whole family was there, everyone except for you." I tried to calm down, not wanting to bring it up again.

"Don't start with that...Anyways, that's not what I mean."

"What, you asked me, so I told you."

"So, what? You've been pissed at me ever since?"

"No..not ever. I get that is was my fault too...but Tommy, we were kids..."

"Just forget it. That's not what I mean."

"Then, what?"

He paused, then finally asked. "You seeing someone?"

"No." I sighed quietly, finally seeing what he was getting at.

"But, in the past you have?"

"No, Tommy... I lived under a freaking rock. I can't believe you right now! We haven't even been together for 24 hours and you're already trying to piss me off!"

He ignored me. "How long ago?"

"I don't know, maybe a year and a half ago."

"So, what happened?"

"We broke up, that's what happened. What's with the twenty questions? I'm not asking _you_ what you've been up to for the past ten years."

"What do you wanna know, I'll tell you." He said smugly.

"No, that's the thing Tommy I don't want to know...'cause it doesn't matter. I don't wanna know about how many whores you've fucked, or about Iraq or what fuck prison was like..or"

"See, that's the thing Dani...you used to love hearing my problems. I would always come to you and you would tell me everything was gonna be okay and all that shit...You know you're the first person I ever cried in front of..."

"Don't be like this."

"Like what!?"

"You're upset with me...for reasons I don't know. What happened to leaving things in the past?"

**Tommy's POV**

She was right. I was upset. All I could think about was the fact that she was with other guys. I tried not to, seeing as though we were never a couple and we never actually admitted our feelings to each other. It shouldn't have even been a problem, considering the fact that I refused to think about her since. But, on lonely nights, when I was in Iraq or before Sparta when I was getting drunk night after night or even during when I would run in the morning and pass that same park we use to hang out at... I'll admit that I did. I did think about her...if only for a second. I wondered what she looked like. What she was up to. If she was with someone...if she loved them. If she was engaged or married or had kids...

"Do you have something you want to say to me Tommy?"

"Say to you...say to you..? What the fuck do you think I want to say to you?!" I couldn't believe she was acting like she never knew how I felt about her...how we felt about each other. I sighed. "I should have told you."

"Told me what?"

"You know what I mean."

**Danielle's POV**

He was right, I did know. I let out a breath before I spoke.

"Who cares about all the guys in the past, Tommy. It doesn't mean anything now. You're who I want to be with." I couldn't believe what just came out of my mouth. Did I really just put it all out there like that? So soon? Oh crap, what was I thinking? _After all these years, was I finally admitting how I felt? Was he?_

**Author's Note:** This is longer than the others. I was really scared to post this. I hope you like it though and I hope it makes sense. Btw I'm not writing any love scenes yet. If there are mistakes, I'll try to fix them tomorrow. I just really wanted to update.

**Please Review.**


	9. Right On Time

**Chapter Theme Song:** Lana Del Rey - Burning Desire (Can you make me feel like home, if I tell you your mine.)

He was right, I did know. I let out a breath before I spoke.

"Who cares about all the guys in the past, Tommy. It doesn't mean anything now. You're who I want to be with." I couldn't believe what just came out of my mouth. Did I really just put it all out there like that? So soon? Oh crap, what was I thinking? _After all these years, was I finally admitting how I felt? Was he?_

* * *

**Danielle's POV**

After I spoke, he just stared at me with those hard eyes. Finally, he turned and furiously headed towards the door. I sighed._ Great, he's leaving. _Then, he made u-turn and grabbed my face so I was looking into his eyes. I didn't move. I couldn't. He began to brush his thumb along my jawline. I shivered. I felt as though I couldn't breathe. He pulled his face closer to mine and I could feel his warm breath on my face. Finally, he crushed his lips to mine in a fast and quick movement. I responded immediately and deepened the kiss. My heart was racing. The kiss felt amazing. His lips were just as soft as I remembered and I could feel his desperation with every motion. He moved his hands to my waist and pulled me closer. I placed my hands on his shoulders for support. I didn't want it to end.

Then, the phone rang. He slowly pulled away and went to answer it.

"Hello?" He said, clearly annoyed.

"Hey, Tommy. It's Brendan."

"Hey, how's it going?"

"Good. So how do you like the place?"

"It's nice. I really appreciate it."

"I'm glad... So,Tess and I were wondering if you wanted to meet up for breakfast."

He turned to look at me. "Uh...sure."

* * *

After I had gotten out of the shower, I grabbed a towel and went to Tommy's room to get grab some of his clothes. I would have to stop by my sister's on the way. That's where my stuff are.

I saw that Tommy unpacked some of his clothes, so I opened the closest drawer to me to find something.  
There wasn't much, so I just reached for the second thing I saw and stopped when I felt something. I took the shirt off of it and saw two orange pill bottles. The one that had no label on it was practically half empty. The other read Prozasin. It was close to full.  
Just then. I heard a knock on the door that startled me. I closed the drawer as fast as I could.

"You ready to go?"

"Yeah one minute." I called out.

* * *

Tommy and I walked into the cafe so see that Tess and Brendan were already waiting near the back of the restaurant.

Tommy walked in first and I followed behind him. Tess nudged Brendan's leg slightly when she saw me.

"Over here." She called out as they both stood up.

"Morning." I said cheerfully.

"Hi how are you guys?" Tess approached me with a hug. "It's nice to see you again, Danielle."

"You too." I replied, while Tommy greeted his brother and then, sister-in-law.

We ordered our food and we ate silently for the most part, except for the occasional small talk here and there. Brendan gestured that Tommy follow him outside. "Ladies..can you excuse us for a moment." Tommy squeezed my thigh before he got up.

"Have fun." I joked.

* * *

They both leaned against the window of the cafe and Tommy flicked the toothpick in mouth back and forth.

"What is it?" Tommy asked.

"I know it's kinda early... but I was wondering what your plans are...for the future. Are you planning to go back to school or...?"

Tommy didn't say anything.

"It's... well...I got you a car, but I need to know that you'll be able to keep up with the payments."

No reply.

"What are you going to do about work...rent?"

Still nothing.

"Come on, Tommy. You gotta give me something."

"I'll figure something out. You don't have to worry about me."

Brendan sighed. "Good...good. That's all I wanted to hear."

* * *

**Inside the Cafe**

"I was wondering... um did you spend the night at Tommy's place?" Tess asked me as soon as they were gone.

I nodded. "Nothing happened, if that's what you're thinking."

She laughed. "I soooo wasn't thinking that."

"It was pretty late, so that's why I stayed... in case you were wondering." I said.

"Oh, you don't have to explain it to me, hun. It's really not my business. Just curious that's all."

I nodded.

"I think it's great though." She added. "If you do decide to get together. I know I only just met you, but I think you could be good for him."

I smiled. "Thanks."

* * *

**Outside**

"So...Is Dani heading back to New York soon?"

"New York? Why would she be going there?"

"Yeah, when we met she told me she worked for the Times."

"She told me it was the Philly Inquirer."

"Oh, well I guess it's the inquirer now. She told me that months ago, anyway."

"Six?"

Yeah..." Brendan replied confused.

He nodded. "Are we finished?"

"Yeah, let's head back."

* * *

Tommy and Brendan came back and took their seats. Tommy seemed a bit agitated.

"Dani, you ready to go? I wanna head out for a run soon."

I nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

"You know you can work out at my gym, Tommy. I mean, if you want. Frank would be happy to have you." Brendan suggested.

"I'm good."

"You sure?"

"I'm fine with running."

I turned to Tommy, trying to change the subject. "Well, I was gonna ask you if he could help me move some things from my sister's place..."

"To your new place?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah I got it two months ago...but since you're busy... maybe Brendan...?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Can you help? That would be so amazing. I was thinking around 3 PM."

"No problem. Tess and will drop by then."

We all got up to leave, then Brendan stopped me, while Tess and Tommy waited outside.

* * *

"Yeah, what's up?"

"There's something I wanted to ask..."

"Go, ahead." I replied, knowing exactly what he was getting at.

"Are you and Tommy...you know... together?"

I blushed. "The answer is yes...well sort of...I think. I mean we kissed." I said embarrassed. "Kinda fast, right?"

"Ah...To each their own, I guess." He began to smile.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing... it's just that I think you'll be good for him. You're exactly what he needs right now." I laughed, realizing that Brendan and Tess had probably already discussed Tommy and I's relationship before.

"You can't know that...you barely even know me and the last time you saw me I was fourteen. I could be a psycho now, for all you know." I teased.

He laughed. "Ah... Then I guess it won't be that different from twelve years ago..."

"Whatever." I said grinning.

There was a pause.

"You don't think I was too late, do you?" I asked, hoping he knew that I was referring to Tommy.

Brendan shook his head. "No, I think you're right on time."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I hope you like it and I hope there are no mistakes. Btw I know where I'm headed in the future I have many chapters planned out.

Please tell me what you think of this chapter. **REVIEW.**


	10. Don't Think Too Much

**Chapter Theme Song:** Automatic Loveletter - Don't Let Me Down (House is empty, no one's watching. Kiss me once you never stop please. Angels bleed and fall in silence. Everything feels right with you.)

* * *

Brendan drove Tommy's car to the apartment, while Tess followed behind. I drove ahead. Tommy still had to renew his license, so Brendan parked it in the parking garage for him. Tommy didn't come with is, he just nodded and took off jogging down the street. Brendan told me that I would probably have to get used to that.

I stopped by my office to drop something off. I rarely ever need to be in the office, I usually just email everything to my boss. I stayed a little longer in the office than expected to catch up with co-workers, but I left by 2 PM. Then, I went back to Tommy's. He wasn't there so I assumed he was still out. It had been two hours since breakfast. I didn't have the key so I went back downstairs to the front lobby to wait for Brendan and Tess.

I was more tired than I had ever been in my life. My arms were limp from carrying boxes. We had to make a few trips from my sister's house to mine. Tess, Brendan, Anna, James and I were exhausted by the time we had finished. I knew Anna was probably glad to not have my boxes and furniture crowding her garage anymore.  
The whole day I thought about what Tess and Brendan had said to me. _I think you could be good for him. You're exactly what he needs right now. _I couldn't lie... that really made me happy inside. Tommy and I together? I was starting to think about what it would actually be like to be in a relationship with Tommy. Not boy Tommy...but with Tommy, the strong, caring passionate, man. I prayed it wouldn't be harder this time around... to get closer to him. I knew about all the things he went through in Iraq and he just got out of prison for god's sake. I really hoped that it hadn't completely hardened him. I knew he was excited to see me and was opening up more , but I couldn't be sure. I was never sure of anything with Tommy.

When I got back it was about & 7 PM. The only light in the room was coming from the TV and the slightly open curtain. Tommy was sitting on the couch watching _Two and a Half Men_. I grinned. He looked so relaxed... I kept quiet and stood by the door watching him. I couldn't help but smile. I was silent as I walked over, trying not to disturb him. I bumped my hip on the counter. He heard me and turned around, but didn't say anything. I hope he didn't think I was trying to sneak past him.

"Sorry, I didn't want to disturb you. Looked like you were enjoying it."

"No, it's cool. You should join me." He moved some magazines to the floor to make room.

_Oh, crap, _I am I going to say? What is he going to say? Why didn't I think about this _before_ I came back to his place?

I sat down. I expected him to turn back to the TV. He didn't. I pretended to watch the TV, but I could feel his eyes on me. I felt like running out of the room. I was never this nervous around him before_. Fuck! _He knew he was making me anxious and knowing him, he would make me speak first, just to piss me off. He knew how awkward I could be. He was probably laughing inside. Anna would never believe this. _Danielle...my drop dead gorgeous sister_, she would say, _the one who has men falling at her feet, has some guy, nevertheless Tommy Conlon, making her shake in her boots._ I couldn't believe it either, actually. Then again, Tommy was in a league of his own. Finally, I took a deep breath.

"About this morning...," I started, finally turning to him.

"Yeah...," He was really going to make me do all the work. I was really annoyed.

"I...Um... about the..." I stopped, hoping he would finally say something that actually added to the conversation.

"The what?," He asked sternly, like he didn't know what I was talking about. He was purposely making me sweat. I rolled my eyes and smirked.

"You know what I'm taking about, Tommy."

"Do I?" He asked, finally starting to smile a little.

How exactly was this going to go? Do I say I want to be with him, that sounded too presumptuous. What if he didn't want to be with me and it was just a one time thing. Or maybe he thought I wouldn't want to be with him and he was too scared to say anything. Oh, god...I hope he didn't think that.  
I finally settled on what to say.

"You know that I love you, right Tommy...," I stopped. It sounded like I was turning him down. _Whoops_, I thought. He looked away for a second. "I mean...I want to be with you, Tommy..." I said quickly while grabbing his fingers. "Relax." I stopped myself. "I mean if that's what you want." He gave me a _really?_, look. Like I should have known that it was obviously what he wanted.

I was staring to wonder if I maybe should have told him the next day, considering the fact that I was heading back home after visiting. _Oh, by the way, I love you Tommy, but I'm going home now. Bye._ I mean, I couldn't stay at his place forever because I just came back into his life and it would be weird. I didn't want to be clingy. I heard him sigh of relief before he looked at me and smiled. I waited.

"Come here." He pulled me under his arms and I cuddled into his chest. He tilted my chin up slightly and began kissing my lips gently. Then, he leaned back and we continued to watch TV.

* * *

_**Tacoma, Washington - September 1997**_

_**Tommy's POV**_

_"Miss Riordan, I'm afraid I have some bad news."_

_I looked over at my mom._

_"Tommy, can you give us a moment?"_

_I nodded. "Um...Sure." I said warily, but I stayed close to the door to listen._

_"What is it?"_

_"I'm sorry to tell you this, but it's heart failure."_

_"Oh god." I heard her start to cry._

_"I know this is quite unusual for someone your age. Thirty nine is quite young."_

_She didn't say anything._

_"I know you don't have any insurance and your welfare isn't going to cover the surgery, but we can still put you on a waiting list for some sort of aid. We can figure out some kind of payment plan where you can pay a little at at time..."_

_She tried to hold back her tears."And how long could that take?"_

_"It can be weeks or months, maybe longer. We usually get something within weeks."_

_She nodded. "Is there anything else you can do. You do know about my..." She paused. "Brain damage." She said quietly. "I can't work."_

_Brain damage?, I thought angrily. Why the hell didn't she tell me?_

_"I'm aware, Miss Riordan. What about your son? Tommy, is it? Maybe he can help you a little more."_

_"He helps enough." She spat back._

_"Miss Rio-"_

_"No, I understand. Thank you."_

* * *

_"So, what are you going to do?_

_"I don't know, Tommy."_

_"What do you mean you don't know?" She shook her head._

_"Mom, I know you can't work, but I can start taking extra shifts at..."_

_"You don't have to do that Tommy. I'm taking care of it."_

_"Mom," He said sternly. "I can help."_

_"I don't want you doing that Tommy. I don't want you to miss out on things because your busy taking care of me. You work hard enough. I want you to focus more on school."_

_"Are you serious?"_

_"Tommy, I will take care of it, just get to bed. Aren't you walking with Dani in the morning?"_

* * *

**PRESENT - 3 Days Later**

Tommy just happened to be coming out of the shower when I stopped by.

"Hey, babe," He said groggily. He called me _babe... _I think I could get use to that.

"Oh! Hey. I'm sorry...I just came by to check on you and the door was open."

Was that weird? He was practically naked. We were together now, but I wasn't sure.

"It's fine."

I tried to keep my eyes from falling to his slightly glistening chest. He could tell I was staring. He smirked.

"So, what are you up to Danielle?,' He said while walking towards his bedroom to get dressed. The way he pronounced my name bothered me. Was he mocking me? I followed anyway.

"Oh, by the way, I got what you asked for." I reached into the plastic bag I had. He opened his dresser and reached for something. Oh...right. "I'll just wait outside," I replied as I headed for the door.

"Wait." He turned me around to face him and kicked the door closed with his foot.

I didn't make any movements and just stared at him, but I knew what he was doing. He pushed me up against the wall and was looking directly into my eyes. I could feel his erection against my thigh.  
Then, I started to think. When was the last time I even... Never mind, I didn't even want to think about it. He began to slowly lift the hem of my shirt, all while sliding his fingers gently up my abdomen. I wanted him so bad. Finally, he lifted my shirt over my head. I hastily tried to speed up the process by unbuttoning my jeans and pulling them off. After all, he was already naked. He smirked at my eagerness. He started to pull me back, towards the bed. We both fell back, with a thud. We laughed. By now, his towel was no longer wrapped around his waist. He trailed his hands along my back and stopped to undo my bra. I was more concerned with getting my panties off.

* * *

_One night, I overheard her having a conversation with someone.  
"I know you said never to call, but I need money."  
Silence.  
"Fuck you. I am not crawling back, I.."  
Silence.  
"It's not for me, it's for Tommy."  
Silence.  
"He's sleeping."  
Silence.  
"I'm not telling you that. You know I can't."  
Silence.  
"I'm sorry, don't hang up...wait... Fuck!, " She slammed the phone down._

_For weeks, they never called us. My mom called them back, but they said our request for assistance wasn't received We had to submit a new one. My mom was pissed, but she tried not to show it in front of me. The whole time we were waiting she was getting worse- coughing up blood and whatever else.  
She didn't have anyone that she could ask for help. After marrying Paddy, she cut all ties with her family. They didn't think he was right for her. Turns out, they were right.  
I was angry that she wouldn't let me help her, but more mad at myself for listening to her. I was young and didn't think. I've regretted it every day since she passed. She died a few months before I graduated...March 1998. I grew up a lot after that. It's what made me decide to join the marines. I wanted to do something with my life, I wasn't good at anything else. I really didn't want to leave Dani, but I couldn't stay there anymore...not after what happened. Staying there would mean that I would have to continue working at Wendy's, which I hated, but it helped with the bills. I needed a change and wanted to feel apart of something...like I belonged. The Corps gave me my family._

* * *

**Author's Note: **I hope there aren't too many mistakes.  
I wasn't really sure how to go about Carol's sickness, so I just chose heart failure. I also don't know anything about how health care works, so please excuse me. It's also mentioned that Carol has brain damage...I wonder why? I also thought it would be better if their mom died young, so it shows how hard it was on Tommy. It makes it sadder that both Tommy and Brendan didn't have her in their life for that long.

I also didn't write a sex scene because I'm not sure how to go about that yet, emphasis on **_YET_**. Anyways, I'm really excited for the next couple chapters. A lot is going to happen.

**PLEASE REVIEW.**


	11. Dreaming

******Author's Note:** This didn't take that long to write, but it did take me a long time to get started. I had a lot of schoolwork and have more coming up. I kept putting it off, but I finally followed through. I hope you like it. I'm really excited to start writing the next two.

Will edit this tomorrow...if there is anything to edit.

* * *

**Tommy's POV**

For the first time in a while, I felt like I wasn't alone. After going AWOL , I didn't have anyone. Not Manny...or anyone else. Danielle was always there for me when we were younger, but that was just as a friend. Having her here with me now...was something entirely different. It was something more. I'm different than I was back then. I want different things. I look at Brendan and his family, and I think fuck... I think I want that. It sounds crazy, but I want her by my side.

Knowing me... I'll find some way to mess it up. A low mumble interrupted my train of thought.

"Hey, Tommy," She looked up at me and smiled.

"Morning, babe."

She turned her head in the direction of the side table. "It's 3 AM, " She groaned as she moved closer to me. It was silent as we tried to fall back asleep.

_Bzzzzzzzzzzzz. _We opened our eyes.

"Is that you?"

"Yeah." She shoved the covers off of her legs and made her way to the floor. She dug through the pocket of her jeans. She took out her phone and looked at the name.

"Who the hell's calling you at three in the morning?"

"Um...I don't know." She paused. "Maybe they'll leave a message, " She replied, while placing it on the side table.

**10 AM**

**Danielle's POV**

I had made breakfast: scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon and fruit salad. Like I always did when I was anxious... I was thinking. My phone was on the table and was spinning it around. I tried not to think of the worst.

I had finished eating a while ago, but was waiting for Tommy to come back from his run. They usually lasted a long time.  
Tommy was still surprisingly buff for someone who had just gotten out of prison. He had probably been working a lot while he was there. I mean, what else would someone spend their time doing in prison. I had seen plenty on cop and prison shows on A&E and stuff like that...but I couldn't imagine what it was actually like...  
It was probably an outlet for him...lifting weights and running and stuff like that. I wondered if he was going to ever start going back to the gym. When went out for breakfast with Brendan, he refused to work out at his gym. It was understandable I guess. I don't think he was ready to bring up anything that had to do with Sparta. Plus, he didn't go out that much and I doubt he would turn up in a gym so soon after the tournament. He didn't want to deal with having people recognize him. I'm sure there were people who thought he was a hero and others who probably thought he was scum. I felt bad for him.

Before I even had time to notice, Tommy had already stormed in the front door and to his bedroom. I heard his drawer slam open as he took something out. I didn't know what to do, so I waited. A few seconds later, he came out and greeted me.

"Hey."

"Rough morning?"

"Yeah," He said. He was moving quickly and stopped to give me a kiss on the cheek, before he headed for the bathroom.

"My sister invited us out for dinner," I called out randomly. That was a complete lie, but I wanted to go out for a change and I wanted to lighten the mood.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah, she wants to see you again." Another lie. I had no idea if Anna even wanted to meet Tommy yet.

My sister and Tommy already knew each other, but she carefully let me know that it didn't count and that she needed to "size him up" for real, because this time was different. Whatever that meant. I figured now was a good opportunity. I just hoped Tommy would be OK with it. Plus, she had to tell her husband.

Tommy was never into making friends and didn't like change very much. That's probably why he spent so much time with me when we were younger. He had plenty of friends, guys that he hung out with and got drunk with, but I was his only true friend. I knew everything about him and never judged him once. He knew everything about me.

_**Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania**_

_I think It was December of '92...almost Christmas time, so it was pretty cold. The sun was about to set. I was about to turn 11 in a few months and Tommy was 12, going on 13. My mom and Tommy's mom, Carol, were cooking in the kitchen. Nothing special... just baked chicken and mashed potatoes. Anna was 16 and only in the kitchen so she could seem more helpful in front of guests. I couldn't care less._

_We were lying on the living room floor._

_"You really suck at this." I was trying to figure out a stupid Rubik's cube and Tommy wasn't shy about telling me how bad I was. "Give it to me."_

_"No!" I protested. "How am I gonna figure this out if you don't let me try, you loser."_

_"Fine! Hurry up, because you'll never figure it out anytime soon." Then, the screen door slammed._

_"Well, look who it is...Tommy and his little girlfriend." Brendan was heading towards us. He smelt like some horrible guy cologne. "You know his last one was a three year old."_

_"Fuck off, Brendan." Tommy said, making sure that he wasn't too loud. I hadn't thought of anything mean to say yet._

_"I think their cute." Brendan had his arm around a younger Tess and she was resting her head on his shoulder, giggling. I remember her more clearly now. She had those same blonde waves, but she was happier...more innocent._

_"Whatever." He paused.__"Where's mom?"_

_"In the kitchen." Tommy replied. "Why?"_

_"No reason." He said turning and heading toward the door._

_"He wants to make sure he has privacy when his girlfriend is giving him a blow job." _

_"Dani..." My mom said sternly from the kitchen, a sign of warning. She knew I had a potty mouth, but was trying to seem more parental in front of Carol._

_They both turned their heads, and Tommy gave me a high five._

_"On my gosh!" Tess laughed and went towards Tommy. "What are you teaching her, Tommy?" __She pinched Tommy's shoulder. _

_"Hey...don't blame me. Where do you think I learned it from?" Tommy replied smugly._

* * *

_We had just finished playing crazy eights in the kitchen. It was late, around nine o clock...my stomach was still full of food. I remember this because I threw up most of it up about 10 minutes later._

_Tommy, Anna and I were all squished onto our tiny couch, watching some stupid cartoon. My mom and Mrs. Riordan were finished cleaning, so she went home to sleep. She said Tommy could stay only until Paddy came home._

_"My mom hides the sodas in the basement. She'll only let us have some if you ask. " I told Tommy. He rolled his eyes, but went anyway._

_"Of course Tommy. They're in the fridge downstairs." He left._

_My mom was talking to my aunt on the phone, then finally hung up. I didn't hear the phone ring the second time._

_"Hello?"_

_I remember a shatter and my sister threw me off of her and ran to the kitchen. I hit the floor, but didn't react as quickly. I got up slowly. I didn't know what was happening. I heard screams. It all seems like a scary childhood dream now... One that you play over and over in your head and can't change. You can remember everyone else's pain and emotions, but not your own. Then, everything goes silent. I was still confused. Like a zombie, I headed toward the kitchen to see what was happening._

_I don't think I really understood what was going on in that moment. My mom was bawling her eyes out and was cradling my sister in her arms. They were on the floor. I stood watching. It felt like a scene from a movie. My mom motioned for me to come closer... to cry with them. I didn't._

_It was my dad. I knew it was my dad._

_ Could this really be happening to me? I know we didn't live in this best neighbourhood. I hated it so much. He was on his way home and stopped at a convenience store. I think it was to buy me a ring pop. I loved them and I told him to never come home without one.  
__That explains why he was so late. I was with Tommy, that's probably why I didn't notice. __He was there during a robbery. I think he tried to help calm the situation before it escalated...he always tried to help people._

_I ran upstairs as fast as my legs could go and was planning to go to my room. I stopped right outside my door, before I threw everything up. I slowly got up and went to my bed to lie down. I think I was dizzy and I could have been crying. I don't remember._

_I don't when exactly Tommy came upstairs or if he knew, but he was at my door...staring at me. I remember feeling embarrassed. I had just puked on the floor and I hoped he wouldn't laugh at me._

_I never usually cried in front of Tommy. He always saw me as a tough little kid and that's who I wanted to be. I didn't look up at him, for fear of what he would say. I don't think I would have heard him anyway. The sounds were too loud. _

_He moved to sit on my bed and I turned my head away. He laid his head where mine was and I think he knew I was embarrassed._

_He wasn't about to bullshit me and tell me everything was gonna be OK. He wasn't going to say he was sorry, like people do in the movies when someone they love dies. He skipped all sappy stuff and got straight to the point._

_"You know can cry in front of me Danielle." They way he said my name sounded nice and calming. __I had almost forgotten what a sweetheart he could be._

* * *

**PLEASE REVIEW.**


	12. Some Things Can't Be Forgotten

**_December 1996 - (Tommy 16,Brendan 18)_**

_"Mom?"_

_She was sitting on the floor with a pile of Brendan and Tommy's childhood photos._

_"It's Brendan's birthday today."_

_"Yeah." Tommy didn't like talking about Brendan because he hated to see his mom upset. Usually he tried to avoid it at all costs, but today he didn't. He knew she felt guilty…guilty for leaving him behind._

_When they left that night, Paddy didn't bat an eye. He foolishly thought that they would come back. He thought Carol would come crawling back to him after running out of money, but that wasn't the case. It had been over two years and there was no way in hell Tommy would let his mom go back there._

_"I sometimes wonder if I made the right decision...coming here."_

_"Don't talk like that, mom. You know we had no choice." He said while kneeling beside her._

_"I shouldn't have left without him..."_

_"Don't blame yourself. It's his fault. He chose to stay."_

_"Tommy, don't say that. I'm his mother. I shouldn't have left him with Paddy. Children need their mothers."_

_Tommy didn't say anything this time._

_"I should call...just to find out how he is..."_

_"No...You know we can't do that. Grandma said its better if he doesn't know where we are."_

_"I know."_

_"We're going to be just fine." She looked up at him and smiled_

_"Look at you." She laughed. "Now you're the one reassuring me."_

_"Yeah, well someone has to." He laughed._

_"Come here." She pulled him into her arms. "My sweet boy. You always take care of me."_

**PRESENT – April 2009**

"So, what's new?"

"Nothing, really. Tommy's good. He's settling well into his place.

Paddy nodded.

"He's also about to renew his license this week."

"What about you, son?"

I wasn't really in the mood to talk about me. I tried to change the subject.

"Tommy and Danielle...they got together. It's going well." At least from what I could tell. The last time we were together was at Rosie's birthday party. The girls loved Tommy and Danielle as well. I could tell Paddy was happy about this. After all, Tommy in a relationship meant a second chance. A second chance at all the things he missed with me. His son's wedding, grand-kids...finally getting to see them grow up. I was only doing this for Tommy. He tried to act like it didn't matter to him if he saw Paddy at all, but I knew he wanted to see him. After all, Paddy was sober now and Tommy felt guilty for the way he treated him during Sparta. I knew he wanted us to be a family again, but I also knew there were some things about our past that he couldn't forget…just like I couldn't.

**Dinner**

Tommy was already at my place waiting for me to get ready. It was 7PM on a Saturday and Tommy was finally about to see Anna  
He was way too early and insisted that he would wait for however long I needed. It didn't take him long to get ready and was here by 6:50 even though he was supposed to arrive at 7:30. He was dressed in a fitted white dress shirt with black pants…pretty casual.  
I left him sitting in the kitchen. Fifteen minutes later, I was ready and headed downstairs.  
He slowly lifted his head from where he was sitting. I was wearing a short, blue, one-shoulder dress with black heels.

"How do I look?"

"You really gonna ask me that?" I laughed.

"You look amazing."

It was cold...really cold. I probably should have brought my cardigan with me. Tommy was driving this time and sat in the passenger seat.  
We were headed to an Asian restaurant on Chestnut street.

Tommy held the door to _Buddakan_ open for me, before we stepped inside. I could spot Anna and James from where we stood. She had a long floral maxi on, complimenting her long, brown hair.  
"Name, please?" The man at the front podium, asked.  
"Anna Summers," I replied.

They stood up as we approached the table.

"Hey, girlie. You look nice." Anna as we both leaned in for a hug.

"Hey, you too." I smiled, then pulled away. There was an awkward pause.

"Hello, Tommy." She smiled. I could tell she was eyeing his every detail…from his shirt to his shoes.

"Anna." He nodded, fully aware of what she was doing. I smiled.

"Hey, how's it going", James said while pulling me into an embrace.

"Great. I haven't seen you in a while though. How are you?"

"I'm great. Anna and I are excited to finally meet the guy you won't shut up about."

I smiled nervously at Tommy. "James, this is Tommy

"Nice to meet you, Tommy." He said, while firmly, shaking his hand.

Tommy pulled out my chair for me and we took our seats.

"So... Tommy, it's great to see you again." Anna said.

He ran a hand through his mousy brown hair. "It's great to see you too." He nodded.

**_March 1998 (Danielle,16 - Tommy, 18 - Anna, 21)_**

**_Anna's POV_**

_"Tommy, have you seen my sister?"_

_He didn't reply.  
_  
_"Hello?"  
_  
_He was sitting on my (and emphasis on my), front porch, smoking a blunt. "Piss off," He replied.  
_  
_"Uh…You're in front of my house, Tommy. Remember that," I warned. He just smirked.  
_  
_I brushed past him, down the stair, and down the street._ _We weren't always like this, but things did take a turn for the worst after the whole "leaving Brendan behind thing". He was only truly nice to two people and I wasn't one of them.  
_  
_"I have no idea why she even hangs out with you." I mumbled under my breath. He heard me._  
_"What was that?" He called to me.  
_  
_I turned around. "I said, I have no idea why Danielle would hang out with a loser like you._ _He was about to reply, when I interrupted him.  
_  
_"It's late, Tommy. Why don't you go home, Tommy. Be with your mom. Isn't she sick?"  
_  
_He didn't say anything._ _Just then, Dani came approaching from down the street._  
_"Um…hey…" She looked at the both of us._

_"Hey, where were you?"_

_"Ummm..."_

_"Never mind then." I paused. "Dani, it's late." I advised her._

_"Whatever. Let's go inside, Tommy."  
_  
_"Don't you think Tommy should be heading home now."  
_  
_"Really, Anna? He's been staying at our place for forever, mom won't mind. Anyways don't you have some exam to study for?"  
_  
_I was expecting Tommy to make some snarky comment, but he didn't. He just put out his blunt and quietly stepped inside.  
_  
_"You really know how to choose your friends, Dani ". I said loud enough that he could hear._  
_I didn't know back then that his mom had already passed._

**PRESENT**

"Hi, my name is Nina and I'll be your waitress for this evening." She was an attractive, young, brunette and looked to be in her early twenties. "Can I start you guys off with something to drink, Wine maybe?" Her eyes scanned everyone's at the table, but rested on Tommy's. I knew he was good looking, but it still bother me that she was staring him down.

"We'll have a bottle of Pinot Noir." She nodded and wrote it down.

"Just a coke for me," I wasn't too big on alcohol anymore, not since I was younger. Plus, I wanted to be alert.

"Anything for you sir?" The waitress asked.

"I'll have the same." She wrote it down, turned around and was on her way.

"Uh, miss!" He called out, while turning his head in her direction. "You know what, I'll take a glass of whiskey."

"Can't go wrong with a good glass of whiskey." "And you can call me Nina, "She grinned before walking away.

"Thank you _Nina_." He said smugly, before teasingly squeezing my thigh. I rolled my eyes.

**Author's Note: I might or might not continue the dinner seen in the next chapter. Tell me if I should. **

**Please Review. Thanks. :)**


	13. You Can Take The Girl Out of the Country

**PRESENT**

There was an awkward silence as we ate our food. I don't know what i'd prefer, awkward silence or awkward conversation. Ugh! At least no one was talking about the weather...or sports.

"Tommy..." James asked. "You planning on watching the game Sunday?" I smiled to myself. I spoke too soon_. _Before he could answer, Anna put her fork down and I knew something horrible was about to happen.

"So, Tommy...what exactly are your intentions with my sister?" _ Oh, fuck me! I took it back. Can we please talk about sports? Please._

"Jesus, Anna." James rolled his eyes, but didn't try to stop her.

"Ahh..." Tommy nodded.

"He's not answering that... Tommy, you don't have to answer that." I turned to her. "What the hell is your problem?"

"Nothing, I was just asking a question. I don't see any of you putting effort into any conversation."

"Yeah, well you picked a very specific question. Who do you think you are?"

"Well I want to know. You haven't seen this guy in what...ten years and you think you guys can just get back to where you left off. You guys are completely different people than you were before."

"How the hell would you know?"

"It's okay Dani, don't worry about it," Tommy interrupted. " I'll answer the damn question if it will make your sister happy."

Anna raised her eyebrow, "Go ahead," she challenged. I held my breath.

"I love your sister more than anything in the world. I always have and I always will." I blushed, while Anna rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, says the guy who just got out of jail ... because love pays bills right. Oh, right...you have Brendan for that. Do you even know how to support yourself?"

Tommy kept quiet, his leg, bouncing furiously.

Anna was enjoying this. "Or we can talk about the man you've become... Any of Paddy's behavior rub off on you, huh Tommy?"

Tommy looked away and started shaking his head. Then, he pushed his chair away from the table.

"You know what...fuck this, and fuck you. I don't have to take this shit." Tommy got up and left.

"Ahh...I see your vocabulary hasn't changed much Tommy."

"Anna..." James sighed. He knew he was defenseless when it came to her antics."

"I can't believe you just said that."

"So, what's your point?"

"Get up. You get the fuck up right now!"

She stood slowly. "Stop being so damn dramatic, Dani."

"Washroom! Go!"

* * *

"I can't believe you asked him that. You know, you should have told me how you felt about him way before we even got here. You know how much I care about him."

"Yeah, well I didn't think you'd start dating him. He just got out of jail. He has no job. His fucking brother supports him... I bet he's a fucking alcoholic now after all the shit that's happened to him. What about Jay huh...what happened to him? He was nice...and reliable, unlike Tommy."

"You shut your mouth." I warned her. Every word that came out of her mouth made my blood boil. I felt like I was fifteen again and someone had just called Tommy a name.

She scoffed. "He's even more of a loser than he was before."

I couldn't take it anymore. Before I knew it, my hand was raised and I had smacked my sister across the face.

She raised her hand to touch her red cheek. "Holy shit, Danielle. What are you five... I guess you haven't changed as much as I thought."

Since I turned eighteen, she was always making me feel bad if I let certain things bother me. _You're an adult now Danielle. You can't go around beating people up when they make you upset. _I guess I haven't changed...No wait... but I had changed, stupid things like this didn't get me upset anymore. I was a fucking career woman with a great job and a nice home, not some fifteen year old girl. I bit my lip.

"What do you think this is the 'Burghs? What... you wanna scrap now, honey?" She laughed.

"Okay, you know what...stop acting like you're better than me, because your not. Hell, you're even worse. I don't know why James puts up with you, you stupid cunt."I turned to walk away, but Anna wasn't finished.

"What the hell did you just call me?"

**_1994 (Danielle 12, Anna 17)_**

"_What the hell did you just call me?"_

"_C.U.N.T. Cunt." I told Anna sternly, to show I wasn't afraid of her._

"_I bet you don't even know what that is. Did Tommy teach you that?"_

"_Fuck you."_

"_Just...give it back you dumb bitch."_

"_Mom gave it to me."_

"_No she fucking didn't she said I could wear it and it doesn't even fit you." She ran up to me and tried to grab the sweater from my hands. It was dad's University of Pittsburgh sweatshirt that mom had found while digging through some old boxes. I wasn't budging an held onto if for dear life. She held it just as tight. _

_I pulled her hair and started punching her in head. In one toss, she threw me on the floor..._

**PRESENT**

Wrestling... we were fucking wrestling. We were slapping and punching and tugging each other's hair on the floor of a restaurant bathroom. I don't know what made me more upset...what she said about Tommy or the fact that she kept treating me like I was inferior.

Then we heard the door open. We got up as quickly as possible and brushed ourselves off. An old lady walked in, we smiled at her as if nothing had happened, our hearts still beating like hell. She smiled, checked her reflection and left.

Within seconds we started to burst out laughing.

"Oh, my god! You're such an idiot."

"Me...you started it. I can't believe you pushed me into the wall? I thought you were above that kinda stuff?"

"Oh, shut up Dani." She rubbed her boob. " You punched my fuckin tit, you bitch."

"I know," I laughed. "Well you know what they say...you can take the girl outta the country, but you can't take the country outta the girl."

"City...we live in a city, sweetheart."

"I know that you idiot."

"Just sayin."

I went to bathroom mirror to fix my hair. "Wow, we look like shit. I wonder what that lady thought when she walked in?"

Anna didn't reply. I frowned, remembering why we fought in the first place. "Look, Dani...I'm sorry about what I said and how I said it... it was wrong, but I don't take it back. He's no good for you and I'm not going to be nice to him."

"You shouldn't have said what you said. It was a horrible thing to say... God, it's like you have no filter sometimes! Do you know that the things you say have an effect on people."

"I'm sorry okay, but I really think you can do better than someone like him."

"You don't even know him.

"I know enough."

"You know nothing..." I paused. "And, how do you know I can do better. Maybe I'm just like him."

"Stop it...there you go again...being all dramatic. Listen, no one marries the bad boy. I mean it was cute when he was younger, but now it's pathetic."

"You just don't get it, do you? You were out of line."

"No I do get it... he's had a tough life, and he needs someone to help him get his shit together, but that person isn't you."

I want you to have a good life...an easy life.

I smiled. "You know what Anna, I respect your opinion, but frankly... I don't give a shit about what you think."

"I know."

"Excuse me while I go find my boyfriend." I headed to the door.

"How about you try actually listening to me. He's gonna hurt you Danielle. I know it."

I stopped. "Tell James I said goodnight."

"Remember, he needs you, not the other way around." She called out. I let the door close behind me.

"You're wrong," I said under my breath. "I do need him."

* * *

**Author's Note**: If there are mistakes, I'll fix them later. I wrote this today in like three hours...it took me a while to update though. My last one was in May. I really hope you like it. I decided to continue the dinner.

In the next chapter, we see what happened when Tommy's mom died. Also Tommy will say more than ten words this time.

Also let me know if you want to see more Brendan and Tess. I have stuff planned, but I don't know if you guys actually care about them. **Also if you want to see more Tommy Boy and _Bren Bren_ scenes. _Poll in profile, I think._**

**The end of the next chapter is a HUGE cliffhanger. You have been warned.**

**Plus, you will find out the meaning of Chapter 12's title...duh duh duhhhhhhhhh.**

**Okay, I'm done now, bye. :)**

**Please Review, they keep me motivated to write more.**


	14. Oblivious

_**January 1998 **_

___I shivered. _"Maybe you should wait to tell her, Tommy." We were standing outside his place. It was 6:45 on a school night, but it was still incredibly dark.  
I had my hands in my pockets and rocked back and forth on me heels.

_He stepped on his cigarette, before answering. "Nah...now's good."_

_"She's gonna kill you, Tommy."_

_"I know," He smirked. "Come on. You go in first." He opened the door. "After you."_

_I backed away from the door a little. "Wait." I stopped. "Why am I even here in the first place? I'm not the one with who got..."_

_"Exactly, so you have nothing to worry about. Just get inside." I wiped my boots on the mat as he playfully pushed me inside. Carol was in front of the sink washing and chopping vegetables. "Hey," she said. "Hurry, close the door. __What were my kids up to?_" She smiled. We took off our boots and jackets, though it was still freezing inside.

_"Hey, mom!" He excitedly came up behind her and wrapped his arm around her._

_"Oh, boy. What is it Tommy? I'm in the middle of cooking dinner."_

_"Check this out." He rolled up his sleeve and held out his right bicep to show her._

_"Oh Christ, what have you done?" She stopped chopping tomatoes and looked at me with a look that said "How could you let him do this? "._

_"Sorry," I said quietly, but I couldn't conceal the huge smile on my face. Tommy and I always talked about getting tattoos and though I was a little jealous he got one before I could, it was still the coolest thing._

_She dried her hands and took hold of his arm to examine it, "Oh my beautiful boy… my beautiful boy." She rubbed his cheek gently._

_"I told him not to do it." I didn't lie, exactly. I told him it was cheesy, but that was only because I wanted him to get one with me._

_She sighed. "Dani...what am I gonna do with him?"_

_She turned to him. "You better wipe that smile off your face." She took hold of his bicep and sighed. "Now here, both of you wash up and help me peel these potatoes. That's your punishment. I'm gonna take a seat." She stirred the pot, before walking into the living room._

_Tommy laughed. "Whatever you say."_

_She looked at him again. "A damn leprechaun for Christ's sake, Tommy? Even I could have thought of a better tattoo than that." We both washed our hands and started on the potatoes. Tommy threw a potato peel down my shirt. "Hey!" I picked up one to throw back. She stood off to the side and watched us._

_Carol looked at the tattoo one last time and sighed again, before finally sitting down._

_"My beautiful boy..."_

* * *

**PRESENT**

I made my way through the crowded restaurant, dodging people, tables, chairs. I bumped into quite a few people, but I didn't have time to apologize. I wasn't in the mood. I pushed through the revolving door and scanned the night, searching for Tommy. No luck. I turned to my right and headed for the parking lot, hoping he would be waiting by the car. I still couldn't find him. I was starting to freak out, but headed back to the entrance. This time, I went left. I found him off to the side, sitting on the pavement.

"Hey... there you are." I stepped in front of the curb and sat down beside him.

"Sorry I didn't go after you I had to have a little talk with my sister first." He didn't say anything. "Listen, she's a bitch. You know I don't think the way she does, right?"

"I guess she needs a little time to get used to us." No answer."Please, say something. I'm going crazy here, Tommy." He stood up.

"I don't feel like talking. Can we go?"

I was taken aback. "Yeah...okay, sure. Let's go." I got up and we headed towards the car.

"Um, excuse me?" A short girl with dyed black hair and piercings came up to us with who I assumed was her boyfriend, by her side. He was a little taller than Tommy, muscular and had tattoos covering his arms. "Are you Tommy Riordan, the MMA fighter?" He asked.

"No." Tommy replied firmly, as he kept walking. I struggled to keep up. The guy kept following with his girlfriend in tow.

"Yeah...dude, you are! You're that ex-Marine from Sparta? You faced your brother in the finals!" "Oh, my god," His girlfriend squealed.

"That's not me."

"Come on, man. I know it's you." They followed us. "Is that your girlfriend?" He didn't reply.

"Get in the car," He told me as we reached the car. He was quiet, but stern. I didn't question him and got inside.

"It's cool, man. Can we just get a picture?"

"No," He said again, as he headed to his side of the car.

"Piece of shit", the guy muttered under his breath, but Tommy heard him. "What'd you call me?" Within seconds, Tommy was walking around the car towards the guy. He got into his face and grabbed him by the shirt. He was breathing heavily. His girlfriend screamed.

"Hey, man. I'm sorry. We don't want no trouble."

"Tommy?!" I called out from inside the car. He looked at me, while still holding onto the guy. He turned to face the guy again. "Fuck off, then." He pushed him back and released his shirt. The girl grabbed onto her boyfriend and they took off. They took their phones out as soon as they were at a safe distance and were snapping a couple pictures. "Fuckers", Tommy grumbled as he got inside and slammed the door shut.

After they left, I didn't say anything. Tommy just sat and stared furiously through the windshield. Finally, he started the engine.

"Tommy...about," I stopped myself. "Are we going back to my place, or...?"

"No, I'll take you home," He replied, still visibly upset. He didn't look at me once.

"Oh, okay," I said.

There was tension in the car. I didn't know what to say. Should I even say anything? The fight with Anna got me thinking. There was a lot of things I still wanted know, not that I would dare ask anyway... He just sat there, looking straight ahead, his hands tightly placed on the wheel.

"When was the last time you talked to Brendan yet?" _Shit. That was one of the worst questions I could possibly ask._

"Why would I need to talk to Brendan for?"

"I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that I haven't heard from him in a while..."

"Well, he's not your brother, is he?"

"No, but..."

"Then mind your own business." He turned down my street and drove rapidly into my driveway.

I racked my brain, thinking of something to say to end off the night...something to make him feel better...maybe even get him to stay the night. It was too late for that. He was pissed.

When I didn't leave, he peered at me from the side.

"Well, goodnight then, " I finally said.

He nodded slightly as I got out. I shut the door and kept walking up the path. I could hear Tommy reversing the car. I turned to look back, but he was already gone.

* * *

**Author's Note:** A little short. Hope there are no mistakes. **Please REVIEW. You can talk about what you liked/disliked, what you think might happen or what you hope will happen in the future. Thanks.**

The next two chapters will be intertwined and taking place at the same time. One will be of Tommy and Brendan, the other of Tess and Danielle. I hope to upload them at same time.


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